Just My Luck
by Angelic Oblivion
Summary: [Chap 5 is up][RoyXEd] A year after Ed defeated Dante and the homunculi, he finally has the time to look for that right person. But what if he didn’t want that right person to find him? No mushy mushy stuff here
1. Chapter 1

**Just My Luck**

**Disclaimer:** The characters from the anime Fullmetal Alchemist are not mine but I'll be using them in my story coz I'm too lazy to make up my own characters. :D

**Summary: RoyXEd **A year after Ed defeated Dante and the homunculi, he finally has the time to look for that right person. But what if he didn't want that right person to find him? (I'll try to keep it from becoming corny and melodramatic. I promise :D)

**Note: **I'll try my best to keep the personalities as accurate as possible but this story will deviate from the plot of the series/movie. The story begins a year after the series ends. Let's say that Ed didn't end up in the world with no alchemy and Al didn't lose his memories. Oh yeah, and let's pretend Roy doesn't have that ugly patch on his eye (I like him better without it) Enjoy :D

A white porcelain tea cup stood idly on an old oak coffee table in the corner of a simple room. This particular room was very similar to the other rooms in that apartment building located several blocks away from the heart of Central. This was where most of the high ranking state commissioned officers in Central spend their days off to relax and forget about their obligations and demanding work in Central Headquarters. To "live" in this apartment would be an inappropriate term since officers of the state normally sleep in designated quarters back in HQ for convenience. Under normal circumstances, military officers from Central HQ don't bother spending their measly wages renting a room in an apartment that is far from their workplace. What's the point?

The white tea cup that was on the oak coffee table just moments before was now resting on a young man's cold metal hand. No longer a boy but not quite a man yet at 16, young Edward Elric sat idly by the window ledge watching the sunset and the people on the street two stories below him. His golden eyes occasionally glanced at his pocket watch then at the door at one end of the room that lead to a bedroom. Not a second later, the doorknob of the bedroom door turned. A smartly dressed General stepped out of the bedroom with a bouquet of roses in hand.

"How annoying. You're too vain for your own good, Mustang."

"Stop being such a shrimp, shrimp. How do I look?" the dark-haired man asked.

"You look like an idiot as usual and stop calling me a shrimp."

"Do I take that as insult, Fullmetal?"

"Tch. Here." Ed said as he handed the Flame Alchemist a small neatly wrapped box with ribbons on it.

"For me? How sweet and thoughtful of you, Fullmetal." Roy smirked as he took the gift

"You pig. It's for your date tonight. That reminds me, how come you never give women special gifts on dates?" Ed inquired with a suspicious look on his face.

"It's 'coz I never ever go out with them a second time. They tend to bore me once I get to know them." The older man mused.

"Shut it. Just go already." The annoyed younger man exclaimed.

The taller man put his coat on, took the gift and bouquet with him and made his way out of the room. Before closing the door behind him, the General took just one more look at Ed and said "Don't wait up."

No response. Ed stared blankly out the window once again.

Mustang frowned. Ed has been acting this way for the past few days. The General thought it was just some sort of phase so he didn't bother discussing the subject with Ed.

Hearing Mustang's car drive off from where he sat, Ed let out a long sad sigh.

"Maybe it's about time that Al and I head back home to visit Winry and Aunt Pinako."

With that thought in mind, Ed left Mustang's quarters and headed back to his and Al's quarters in HQ.

"Brother, you're back early. I thought you and General Mustang still have some work to discuss?" Al greeted as Ed entered the small room that housed two beds and a study table where the younger brother was working.

Alphonse Elric has been in his original body for almost a year now and he never looked happier. Although people around HQ took some time to get used to the fully human Al, he still is the down to earth and mature Al everyone knew. In all, Al was still Al and he still can't resist sticking his nose in alchemic journals, researches and books he asked his brother to borrow from the library in Central.

The older brother removed his red coat and dark jacket and laid back on his bed. He quietly stared at the ceiling for a few moments then finally spoke.

"Al, why do you spend so much time studying those books and journals anyway? You already have your body back."

"I'm looking for other alternatives so that you can go back to normal as well."

Ed stretched his right arm as if reaching for the ceiling and stared at his shiny automail arm.

Satisfied with the work he has done for the day, Al put away his reading materials and also laid on his bed that was beside his brother's.

"I went to visit Glacier and Elysia today. Scieszka was there too. We talked about a lot of things and a certain topic that had something to do with you came up and that really intrigued me."

There was silence.

"Brother? Are you listening to me?"

"Hmm? What was intriguing?"

"Scieszka was curious, how come you don't show interest in women? I mean the last girl you liked was Winry or was it Rose? Either way, you didn't pursue an intimate relationship with neither of them."

"Maybe it's 'coz I haven't found the right one yet." Ed said as he put his metal arm beside him on the bed, still looking at the ceiling.

"Maybe you have but you just don't want that person to find you."

"Huh? Did you say something Alphonse?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Al, let's head back to Resembooljust for a while."

"Good idea, brother. It has been almost a year since we last visited Winry and Auntie."

"It's decided then."

Meanwhile, in a restaurant somewhere in Central…

"Flowers for me? Oh General, you shouldn't have." A young Nurse from HQ infirmary blushed as she took the bouquet from her date, the Flame Alchemist. Roy lead his date, Maria, to the table reserved especially for this occasion.

"This is such a wonderful restaurant. I'm so glad you asked me out. I was really hoping you would." Maria mused as she took hold of Mustang's bare hands from across the table.

The two conversed as they ate their fill. Maria, like all the women Roy ever dated, fell into a trance and couldn't help but be under Mustang's spell. After dinner, the dark-haired man took out the gift Ed gave him earlier and presented it to his date. In sheer bliss and excitement, the young woman hastily took hold of the neatly wrapped treasure and read the note attached to it.

"Umm, there must be some mistake. The note on the gift is addressed to you."

Confused, Maria returned the gift.

Mustang mentally scolded himself for being so careless. 'Silly midget must have written my name by mistake.' He thought. The General removed the ribbons and tore off the wrapper that covered a small box. Maria was also curious about the gift but she was more interested to know who gave it to her dark-haired god. Roy removed the square lid of the box, took a look inside and started laughing almost instantly. Curious, Maria took a closer look and was surprised to find a small pack of breath mint in the box.

"I don't get it." The young woman said.

The General continued laughing.

-to be continued-

**End Note: **Did I spell everything right? LOL. Comments and Reviews are much appreciated. Thanks for reading my crap. Meeeep :D

Edit: Thanks to cuylerjade for pointing out the correct spelling of Resembool :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Smug Smile**

**Disclaimer: **FMA characters are not mine. I just write the plot here. Don't mind me :P

The morning after Ed suggested that he and Alphonse take a vacation, the two young men were on a train bound for Resembool. There were only a few passengers traveling that day, so the atmosphere in the train was quiet and peaceful.

"Brother, are you sure General Mustang won't get mad at us for leaving like this? I mean, we didn't even tell him where we were going."

Al sat across his older brother. He was feeling uneasy about the idea of going home without telling anybody, not even Winry or Auntie Pinako.

Ed was sitting comfortably on the seat beside the window and had been wearing a big smile since they left their quarters early that morning. Seeing Al's concerned look, Ed explained "I left a letter on Mustang's desk. I'm sure he'll get it." With that last sentence, Ed stared out the window and his smile grew even more...to the point that he looked scary.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Al sighed.

When the train got to the Resembool station, they were surprised to see two familiar faces.

"Fletcher? Is that really you?" the younger Elric exclaimed as he ran towards his friends.

Fletcher and Russell, their old friends from Xenotime were talking to one of the personnel near the entrance of the small station. From afar, Ed could see that Russell had grown taller and the younger brother, Fletcher was about his height now but aside from that, nothing much has changed about them. Ed mumbled something inaudible under his breath.

"Huh? Do I know you from somewhere?" Fletcher asked, a bit embarrassed when Al stopped in front of him.

"Oh, it's me, Alphonse Elric. I got my real body back you see."

Neither of the two believed poor Al so Ed decided to step in.

"Ed? Is that really you? Al? That's amazing!l." Russell asked. Seeing the Elric brothers brought back some good memories and this made Fletcher's older brother smile.

Fletcher explained that they were on their way to visit a nearby town but they got off on the wrong station. Knowing how tiring the trip would've been for the two, the Elric brothers invited their friends to stay with them for the night. Russell tried to turn down the offer saying that it would be too much to ask of them.

"But you spent most of our money buying old alchemy books in the last town we visited." Fletcher reminded his Russell.

Al laughed at this since Russell's personality reminded him too much of his own older brother.

"It's settled then. Since you're broke, you're staying with us." Ed said with mocking tone in his voice.

"If we were in their shoes, you would've spent all our money on food." Al added.

Everyone except for Ed laughed at the young state alchemist's voracious appetite. The old friends talked about their experiences and what they have been up to as they walked to Winry's house.

It was certainly a big surprise for Winry to see Ed and Al standing before her when she opened the door. She greeted her two best friends with a big hug. Ed introduced his friends and Winry happily welcomed them in to the house. Hearing all the commotion downstairs, Auntie Pinako came down from the second floor and just like Winry, she was very surprised to see the young Elrics back home.

"It's nice to see that both of you are well. I do hope this particular visit would be a pleasant one."

Come to think of it, the only time the Elric brothers got to visit their Aunt and Winry was when they needed a place to hide or when Ed needed repairs done on his auto mail limbs.

"It's nothing like that Auntie Pinako. We're here to have fun and forget about work even for just a short time." Ed mused happily as he walked towards the sofa to relax.

Winry immediately knew that something was wrong. Though it may not necessarily involve businesses regarding state, she could tell that Ed was hiding something from her. But in that particular moment, she just let all her worries slide so that she could truly be happy for her friends' return. She then asked everyone to sit at the dining table across the sofa so that they could all be comfortable.

"You guys have good timing coming here." Al cheerfully said after he sat on the wooden chair.

"Fletcher and I are very happy to be here. Actually, we were kinda hoping Ed grew an inch by now but I guess we were hoping for too much." Russell, the older brother joked as he looked at Ed.

Ed, who was lying on a couch just across the dining table where everybody was, heard the taller blonde's comment about his height. In his rage, Ed jumped off the couch and screamed at Russell's face "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET THAT YOU CAN ONLY SEE THROUGH A MICROSCOPE!"

"Brother, calm down. Russell didn't say that. You always exaggerate whenever people say something about your height."

"That's not the point, Al." Ed exclaimed, catching his breath from all the screaming he just did. Everybody in the room laughed at the spat between the two older brothers.

Later that evening, Ed was tasked to throw out the trash after everyone had finished eating their meal. Reluctant as Ed seemed, Winry could almost always talk him into doing anything.

"I'm supposed to be a guest here. Why do I have to do all the work." Ed mumbled as he closed the lid of the garbage bin made of tin.

The night air was cool and the fresh smell of the grasslands revitalized the young alchemist's tired body. He never felt this way back in Central. The street always seemed crowded with people and cars and the nights in the city were never this peaceful.

"You seem to have a lot in mind lately, Ed." A voice came from the porch.

"Oh, it's you Russell. Tch. I guess it's 'coz I still haven't decided what to do yet now that Al got his body back."

"That's not what I meant. I know you'll eventually find a new path to take. You're the one who taught us to choose our own way and to continue moving forward."

Ed made his way up the porch, stopped beside Russell and said "So what do you want to know?"

"It's…it's nothing. Forget it."

The young state alchemist blinked at this with an annoyed expression on his face. He didn't get the chance to get mad because there was suddenly some loud and cheerful laughter coming from inside. Ed could see from the window that Winry, Al and Fletcher were playing a game of charades and it wasn't like him to be left out.

"It looks like fun. Let's go inside and join them, Russell."

Russell took a moment before he was able to reply. "…Sure. Why not?"

The whole time the Elrics were enjoying the first night of their short vacation, a dark gloomy cloud hovered over the office of a certain dark-haired General back in Central. It has been this way for almost the whole day. General Mustang stood behind his desk facing the window, staring at the lights from the city. The Flame Alchemist had not spoken to anybody for a while now not even to his loyal subordinate, Riza Hawkeye.

The General's day started out just fine. The birds were singing outside and the sun was shining brightly on his way to work that morning. He had a great time last night even though his date with Maria was a disaster. Nothing could ruin his exceptionally good mood, he thought. He was really looking forward to giving Ed a long and sarcastic lecture for not waiting for him the other night even though he told the younger man not to wait for him.

"Young soldiers should have the initiative to do their job without being told. Elric will just have to miss a day of work for being irresponsible." Mustang mused as he walked towards his desk.

The General's subordinates were glad to see him in such high spirits and they thought this was going to be a good day for all of them. Maybe, just maybe the General would finally do some work today, they all thought with a sparkle of hope in their eyes.

As soon as the Flame Alchemist sat down on his comfortable chair, he noticed a letter addressed to him lying on his large wooden desk. Hawkeye was delivering a pile of documents Mustang had to read and sign that day and she managed to get a glimpse of the letter from behind her superior. There was a large 'poorly' drawn picture of Ed who was sticking his tongue out, and at the bottom portion of the paper it said "Be back in a couple of days. –Ed-"

Mustang instantly burned the note with his alchemy. Riza could hear the General curse under his breath. Everyone in the room witnessed the note turn to ashes.

"I guess this isn't going to be a good day after all." They all chorused.

Their leader made several excuses not to do any work that day. He said things like "I'm too busy" or "I have some other business to attend to." And before they knew it, it was time for them to go home.

The officers who worked under Mustang gathered just outside the office, peeping through a narrow crack in the door. After spending some time staring out the window, their superior finally settled on the red sofa beside his desk. They tried listening for any kind of sound from the room but the only thing they could see was the back of the General's head.

"What's going on in his head now?" Breda hissed.

"Did he screw up during his date with the nurse from downstairs?" Havoc asked, still sounding bitter at the fact that Maria agreed to go out with the General and not him.

"Highly unlikely. He must have been possessed by some evil force." Fuery added with fear in his voice.

"Oh, grow up." Hawkeye interrupted as she smacked her fellow officer on the head.

"This isn't normal. The General slacks off a lot during work but it never did come to this…or did it?" Farman whispered from behind the other officers.

"I guess he's still upset." Riza sighed.

"Upset?" the men around her chorused.

"That Edward Elric didn't see him personally to request for his leave of absence."

"So you're telling us he just left him a note?" Havoc and Breda exclaimed.

Hawkeye nodded.

"So why doesn't he just go after Ed and reprimand him like the last time?"

"It's not that easy, Fuery. As General, he needs to keep a good image. Going after a subordinate whom he can't control won't do his reputation any good." Riza Hawkeye seemed to be the only person in Central who could understand Mustang to this extent.

Meanwhile, inside the office, sitting comfortably on the soft sofa, oblivious to all the talking about him, Mustang was fast asleep.

The very next day, back in the auto mail shop/ house in Resembool, Fletcher and Russell were bidding the Elric brothers their farewell.

"We're off to help people with our skills in alchemy. Thanks a lot for letting us stay here big sister Winry. We hope to see you again soon Ed and Al." Fletcher said happily as he waved at his friends.

"We're more than happy to have you here. Come by as often as you like." Winry replied.

"I'm going to walk with them to the station, brother." Al said as he helped Fletcher with their luggage.

"Thanks a lot everyone. And Ed…"

"Hmm? What is it Russell?"

"Take care of yourself."

The taller blonde reached out to shake Ed's left hand. Ed obliged and smiled at Russell.

"Get off at the right station next time." Ed teased Russell with his usual mocking expression.

Russell squeezed Ed's human hand harder than he intended to and this made Ed cry out in pain. Once the guests and Al were gone, the atmosphere in the house suddenly changed. Closing the door behind her, Winry looked at Ed who went in ahead and was now sitting on the sofa that faced the door.

"So what's the matter, Ed?" the young woman asked from where she stood by the door.

"What do you mean?" he blinked innocently at Winry's question.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you Edward Elric. You'd never come home just to say hello."

"You know me that well huh?" Ed sighed as he turned away from Winry.

"Is this about Roy?" she asked, walking towards Ed's side.

"That sarcastic perverted promotion-driven general who does nothing but sleep in his office all day? No, it's not about him."

Winry noticed the change in Ed's tone when he talked about Mustang. It sounded a bit more cheerful to a certain degree.

"Still no progress with him eh? I know you've always had this big crush on him since he first came here almost five years ago."

"I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON THAT USELESS EGOISTIC BASTARD!" the enraged state alchemist stood up and shook his metal fist with his back hunched. This made Winry giggle at Ed's display of anger.

"Come to think of it, you never failed to mention Roy Mustang in any of the letters you sent me while you were in Central. They were mostly about insults and complaints but then again, it was about Roy." The young woman said thoughtfully. This angered Ed more.

"Why don't you just admit it, Ed? You actually like the guy even though he used your talents in alchemy to get promoted." Winry teased, giggling at every word she said.

"Shut up. You don't have to remind me. It's just that Al and I have been working together on a lead to an alternative method to perform human transmutation without the philosopher's stone. I still want to get my old limbs back and Al was nice enough to help with the research. But we needed classified documents that only Mustang has access to. In return, the stupid bastard wants me to report all of our findings directly to him every single day."

"And what's wrong with that, Ed?"

"Since I spend the whole day doing research with Al, the only time I could report to Mustang is when he's off work so I have to drag myself all the way to his place everyday. It was less than pleasant for me to report to him then but now it's just plain awkward."

Ed took a moment to think. His childhood friend just stood there waiting for the young man to speak again.

"Although I prefer to talk about work to get the job over with, Mustang wastes time talking about himself and women. He even told me about a bad experience he had when he kissed his date after eating spicy cuisine."

Ed was still fuming as he told his friend all the nonsense he had to put up with in Central. Winry couldn't help but sweat a drop and laugh at the things Ed said.

"Maybe he just wants to get to know you, Ed. Have you ever thought of it that way? You've been working under him for this long and you guys know zilch about each other."

"That bigheaded bastard doesn't care about anything and anybody but himself."

Ed knew that was a lie but insulting the General like this made him very happy for some reason. Winry rested her case; Ed still has a huge crush on the General and he was feeling weird now that the two of them were getting close.

The Elric brothers spent three days in Resembool but as much as they wanted to prolong their stay, Ed knew very well that he was still a dog of the military and that he had obligations to fulfill. Having said their goodbyes to Winry and their Aunt, they boarded the train to Central. The trip back had been uneventful, it was rather boring actually. The brothers spent most of their time talking or playing cards. Soon enough, they realized that their vacation had officially ended when they stepped off the train. Major Armstrong was there to meet them, waving a large muscled arm to get their attention.

With his usual pink glowing stars around him, he greeted the brothers with such passion and sincere glee.

"Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, I do hope you boys had a pleasant vacation." Armstrong saluted them.

"I'm sure Mustang is going to make another long and sarcastic lecture when I get back in HQ." Ed sighed under his breath.

"Well, it's your fault for not telling him directly that you were leaving, brother."

"He never would've agreed to give me a vacation even if I did tell him in person. Damn bastard is the worst slave driver in the world." The young state alchemist said with his head down.

"Pardon my intrusion but the General asked me to take you two to HQ as soon as you arrived."

"We don't have a choice do we?" Ed said in submission.

The drive back to headquarters was unnervingly quick. Ed could imagine the smug look on Mustang's face. The General wore the same expression whenever Ed was around to deliver his report or when he used to ask for information about the philosopher's stone.

The car stopped in front of the big building located in the heart of town. Central headquarters never looked so gloomy, a dark cloud hovered over the building. When they got off the vehicle, they saw Lieutenant Hawkeye waiting for them outside the main entrance.

"Alphonse Elric." She said sternly.

"Y-yes ma'am." Al's shaky voice was barely audible.

"Come with me. There are matters I would like to discuss with you alone."

Al agreed to go with the Lieutenant without question.

This was the last place Ed wanted to be in and to make matters worse, he got separated from Al but he really had no choice. Mustang had all the right connections and the young blonde could easily be found if he went AWOL. Ed knew the hallways well and his heart was beating faster with every step he took.

"_This is crazy. This isn't the first time I did something 'impulsive'. Why do I feel so stressed out now? Mustang can't do anything to me. He has his stupid reputation to keep. But wait, he put his reputation on the line to defeat Pride before-"_

"Here we are." Armstrong interrupted Ed's thoughts. Ed just realized that they were standing right outside Mustang's office.

gulp

Ed's heart sank. He was certain that seeing the person waiting for him on the other side of that door was not going to be pleasant. At some point the Fullmetal Alchemist wished 'The Gate' would appear before him to save him from the General. But of course, Ed was exaggerating. He felt like such a wuss for even thinking about such a thing.

The door opened and the bright afternoon light from the room shined through.

What awaited Ed on the other side?

-to be continued-

**Notes: **Though they were few, thanks so much for the reviews. I really felt some chemistry between Ed and Russell but I think it was only a one sided thing in the series (aww). This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written. Congratulate me yay . Maybe I can use the length of this chapter as an excuse to not update this fic right away? wink wink Comments and Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading :D

**PS. **It's not that I'm some kind of review whore or anything but to be honest, I really got some good ideas from the reviews. For those who reviewed, you'll probably see my point in the next chapter :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: My Friends**

**Disclaimer: **FMA characters are not mine but I'm gona use them to entertain my bored self so there.

The door opened and the bright afternoon light from within the office shined through. What awaited Ed on the other side?

POP!

"Surprise! Happy Birthday, Ed!" the people in the room chorused when the Fullmetal Alchemist entered the room.

The General's office that was usually dull and serious-looking was now filled with colorful confetti and cheerful laughter. A large white banner with bright red letters on it that said "Happy 17th Birthday Ed" hung on the wall adjacent the windows of the room. The desks where Havoc and the rest usually do their work have been used as makeshift tables where several different delicious looking dishes were placed.

Ed smacked himself on the head with his human hand. He has been too engrossed in his work that he has forgotten his own birthday once again. Everyone present for the celebration gathered around him, greeting the birthday boy with their warm smiles.

Havoc, Breda, Fuery as well as Farman showed a hint of red on their cheeks. Apparently, Mustang's subordinates couldn't wait for Ed to arrive so they decided to get a 'taste' of the liquor that they bought especially for the occasion.

"Hey, little man!" Farman mused. Ed's ears tingled at the word 'little' but since he was such in a good mood, he let it go…just for today. _"I'll get you for that someday, Farman."_ Ed thought to himself, a smirk forming in the corner of his lips.

"Glad to see you came back here safe." Added Fuery who seemed to be a bit tipsy.

"Things here have been different since you left. You shouldn't do that again." Breda said as he put an arm around Ed's shoulders. Breda wasn't making any sense at all but the Fullmetal Alchemist knew at the back of his mind that it had something to do with Mustang.

"Edward Elric! Here, let's all drink to your health." Havoc exclaimed as he gave a glass of clear vodka to their guest of honor.

The younger man took a sniff at the drink that smelled like strong alcohol and allowed his nostrils to get used to the burning sensation he felt as he inhaled. Ed then stared at the glass of liquor in his hand and said "I guess drinking this would make things official. I am no longer a child. Today, I am a man." He motioned for a toast and his friends obliged but before he could take a sip, a shriek came from the door and more familiar faces came in to join the party.

Armstrong was still standing behind Ed, holding the door open for the other guests.

"Young men like Ed are not supposed to drink alcoholic beverages! Havoc, you should be ashamed of yourself." Gracia Hughes scolded the lieutenant as she stormed in the room.

"How admirable Mrs. Hughes, fighting for the betterment of the children." The Strong Arm Alchemist mused, pink stars glowing around him.

"But…I'm already 17." Ed tried to argue.

Gracia took the glass of vodka from the young state alchemist and smiled. "Happy birthday, Ed. I'm sorry, I'm just trying to look after you and your little brother."

Ed sighed, nodded his head and said "Mothers will always be mothers."

From behind the major, a clumsy-looking brunette carefully walked towards them holding something with both hands.

"I'm sorry we're late, Ed. We had to make a quick stop at the bakery you see." Scieszka said as she entered the room carrying a large decorated cake with Ed's name on it.

A little girl was following Scieszka around when Major Armstrong carried the cute child up on his muscled shoulders.

"Yeah, we're sorry big brother." The adorable Elysia said shyly from Major Armstrong's shoulders.

From behind the muscular Major and Mrs. Hughes, he noticed two more friends form work who were standing at the door waiting for him to take notice of them.

"Happy birthday, Ed." Lieutenant Ross and Lieutenant Bloch greeted Ed with a salute.

"No need for such formalities, guys. Relax would ya." Ed smiled and invited his friends to go inside with the rest of the gang. While the older birthday boy was distracted, two more people arrived to join them in the celebration.

The young alchemist was facing away from the door and was busy talking and joking with his friends that he failed to notice the Lieutenant.

A woman spoke from the door behind him. "Happy 17th birthday, Edward Elric."

"Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Ed jumped when he saw the serious looking officer. "Where's-"

"I'm here brother." Al said as he showed himself from behind the female officer.

"I'm sorry for making you worry but I had to get your present from our quarters." Al said innocently as he revealed two packages. One gift was as big as a suitcase while the other was about the size of a pocket book.

Ed tilted his head and asked "You're giving me two gifts this year?"

"This won't be equivalent exchange anymore since I gave you just one gift on your last birthday." Al's older brother teased.

"No, big brother. The other present is from Winry." Al pointed at the larger package.

"Huh? How did it get here and why didn't she just give it to me person back at home?"

"She asked me to deliver the package while we were in Resembool. I sent the package to our address here in headquarters when I took Fletcher and Russel to the station. Winry asked me to keep it a secret so that you'll be surprised."

"Oh, Winry." Ed sighed merrily as he inspected the larger package.

A round head with brown hair and a pair of glasses suddenly popped out of nowhere and stood between the Elrics.

"Ed, let's get this party going!." The enthusiastic Scieszka said.

"Scieszka, geez you scared me." Ed mumbled.

Once everyone was inside the office, the young state alchemist noticed that somebody was missing. Although he knew things were more pleasant without_ that_ particular person, that didn't stop him from wondering.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, where is the General? I mean this is supposed to be his office and all but does he even know we're having a party in here?"

Riza smiled as she replied "Of course. The General was the one who arranged this event but unfortunately, he won't be able to join us this afternoon."

At that moment, Ed felt like he was just struck by lightning.

"Wasn't it nice of General Mustang to have gone through all the trouble for you party brother?"

Al looked to his side expecting his older brother to be there but he wasn't. The younger brother looked high and low around the room full of people and finally noticed Ed's antenna-like bangs from across the large table where the food was.

"Brother, what are you doing over here?"

"I have a bad feeling about this, Al. Mustang is up to something I just know it."

Ed could imagine the demented General with his smug look and sarcastic smirk that he always wore whenever he would give Ed a new assignment.

"Brother, we seldom see all our friends in Central all gathered together in one place. Let's make the most of this event."

"'Coz it might be our last." Ed added.

The party went on the entire afternoon. They played games such as truth or consequence and pin the tail on poor Fuery while blindfolded. Armstrong suggested that they have a contest that involved muscle and figure. As the major flashed his large buffed body, Havoc began to remember his bad and awkward experiences with the major's family specifically with Armstrong's younger sister. Nobody could outdo the major's display of strength but everybody had a great time nonetheless especially Ed. He seemed to have forgotten his worries about the General and the punishment that awaited him. He simply spent the whole time relishing his experiences with his comrades. Similar to any normal children's party, a certain time during the party was used to open presents and even though Ed was now 17, he still felt really excited to open his gifts. "_I guess this is what happens when a person is deprived of his childhood._" He thought but he knew that he had no regrets whatsoever in the things he has done with his life.

In seconds, gift wrappers were flying all over the room. From Mrs. Hughes and Elysia, Ed received three new pairs of underwear and a colorful drawing of him.

"Hey, you can draw better than me, Elysia." Ed praised the little girl. Elysia blushed at this and hid behind her mother's skirt.

"You must always have clean pairs of underwear" Gracia explained.

Scieszka gave Ed a book titled "Making that first move."

"That's one of my favorite books. I wasn't sure if you needed it but I still want you to have it. Although I still have several other books that I could give just in case you're not interested in such things but maybe you should try reading that anyway so that maybe-" Scieszka began ranting.

"Uhh. Thanks a lot." Ed said, unsure of what the book is about or if he would even consider reading it.

From his other friends from HQ, he received rather odd gifts such as a well-crafted miniature sculpture of himself making a rather macho pose.

"It's a skill passed on in the Armstrong family" the major claimed.

Ed also received a pair of elevated shoes,

"…For those odd moments with the women." Havoc mused. Ed frowned saying "Maybe you should wear them then."

He also got a toy gun and several other weird things. Though he might not be able to use most of their gifts, Ed was glad people cared enough to give him stuff for his birthday. He opened all the gifts except for two, the gift from Winry and the gift from his younger brother. Ed promised Al he'd open the rest of his presents once they were in their quarters.

Although this day was a special day for the Fullmetal Alchemist, like all other days, it has an end. Soon enough, the sun had already set and it was time for them to go. After helping one another clean the office, the party guests were now preparing to leave.

"Great party, Ed. I hope you come to see Elysia and me sometime soon." Mrs. Hughes mused as she took her exhausted sleeping daughter in her arms.

As for the rest who work in HQ with Ed, they simply said "See you around." or "Later."

Al had gone ahead to catch up on his research and everyone else had gone home for the day except for Ed. He sat alone in the office on the soft couch beside the General's large desk and stared blankly at the dimming surrounding. Having celebrated his birthday today made the young alchemist think about what he has been doing in the past years and where he intended to go next in order to continue moving forward.

The older Elric could hear faint sounds of cars leaving HQ, soldiers and non-military personnel going home to their families and friends.

"I have a home to go back to and a brother who's willing to stay by me no matter what. I believe I have friends I could trust and more importantly, a dream to keep me going."

"Will I ever get my old limbs back? But what will I do afterwards if I do get them back?"

"I won't have a reason to stay in the military anymore. I won't have-"

At that moment, Ed could hear the door into the office open. The Fullmetal Alchemist stood up to see who it was. He was very surprised to see that it was the General who stood by the door. The older man was just as surprised to see Ed in the office.

"Oh, it's you Fullmetal." Roy said with the usual hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Ed couldn't move or say anything. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to thank Mustang for the party or if he should just leave to save himself from being lectured on proper behavior as a state alchemist. The young blonde-haired man just stood there and observed the older man as he walked towards his desk. Ed noticed Mustang had several documents tucked under his arm.

"You're working unusually late tonight. Trying to get another promotion soon, I presume?" Ed said mockingly. Though he felt a certain degree of fear and respect for the General, Ed simply couldn't help but be annoyed and sarcastic whenever he was anywhere near Mustang.

"For a person who just celebrated his birthday today, you sure haven't grown one bit…not even an inch." Mustang's smug smile reached the corners of his face. After years of having Ed as a subordinate, Roy knew very well how to anger the younger man.

Before Ed could get the chance to blow up at yet another negative comment about his height, the taller man quickly added in a serious tone "Sit. I need to discuss something very important with you, Ed."

His head still steaming with rage, Ed sat down and mumbled some things that the General couldn't hear.

The Flame Alchemist took a folder out of his desk drawer, walked towards Ed and placed the documents together with the folder on the small coffee table in front of the couch. Mustang looked at the man who was sitting in front of him and saw the usual defiant look the Fullmetal Alchemist always had. But something about his look that evening was noticeably different. Ed looked more relaxed somehow. He wasn't the same old child who looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, desperately trying to know more about the philosopher's stone.

Growing impatient by the moment and feeling extremely awkward of being observed by the Flame Alchemist like that, the younger man finally spoke.

"I don't have all night, Mustang."

Mustang was quite amused with Ed. Even though this particular subordinate of his was not exactly the most obedient soldier, Roy has always thought Ed as the unintentional clown of the military. For him, Edward Elric was the youngest state alchemist and the most immature and impulsive brat he knows. _But things change, don't they?_

The General stood right in front of Ed who was still sitting very comfortably on the couch. Roy bent down low enough for their eyes to be leveled as he said "Tell me something, Ed."

"What?"

Roy moved in closer, putting both of his hands on the backrest of the couch leaving Ed unable to move and trapped between his arms.

Ed swallowed hard. He found himself in a very uncomfortable situation and there was nothing he could do about it.

"How…" Mustang trailed off, moving even closer.

"How what?" Ed said, still trying to sound defiant with his obviously quivering voice. _Move, damn it. _He ordered his body in vain

The General had moved in close enough for his breath to caress Ed's lips. All the while, Ed has been breaking into a sweat, his body still frozen. With Roy closing the gap between them, the younger man instinctively shut his eyes.

"How is it?" The General asked.

"Huh? How's what?" the confused and surprised blonde inquired, blinking several times at the man who was now about a head's distance away from him.

"The breath mint you gave me, shrimp." Mustang asked in a suspiciously innocent tone.

Later that evening in the dorms area of headquarters, the Fullmetal Alchemist was walking alone in the dark empty corridors. He had with him a folder and a handful of documents that the General gave him earlier.

"Tch. Bastard." Ed hissed.

-Flashback-

"I'm feeling generous today, Fullmetal so here." Roy put the folder and the documents on the couch beside the younger Alchemist.

"More research work for you and your brother. It would be better if you looked into this with Al." The General added.

Mustang walked away from Ed, who was still awe-struck from the older man's advances earlier. Roy was about to leave the office when he stopped at the door and looked at the blonde who was still sitting on the couch staring at the papers.

"And by the way, Happy birthday. May you have many more birthdays here as a dog of the military." Mustang said smugly.

-End of flashback-

"Brother! What took you so long?" Al exclaimed when Ed entered their quarters.

"I met Mustang back in the office."

"And? Were you able to thank him for the party or did he get mad at you?"

"It was…well, here. He's giving us extra work." The older Elric sighed as he handed the documents to Al.

"Open your gifts from Winry and me, brother." The younger brother said in a cheerful manner as he looked over the papers he has just received.

Ed found the two packages from this afternoon lying on his bed. He removed the wrappers of the larger gift first and was very surprised to find a complete auto mail maintenance kit. When he opened the suitcase, it revealed several brushes, cloths, bottles filled with oil, screws and wrenches of various sizes neatly packed in the container. A note was posted at the top part of the kit saying "You better take care of your auto mail, Ed. Here are custom-made tools I've made just for you. Write me back soon. Happy birthday -Winry"

"She hasn't changed a bit." the young state alchemist sighed.

Setting Winry's gift aside, Ed then moved on to unwrapping Al's present.

"This should be interesting. You always give the best gift, Alphonse." He said happily.

Beneath the plain wrapper, an old photograph incased in a simple wooden frame came into view. It was an old candid photo of a family picnic with the Rockbells. The day was sunny and everyone seemed to have a smile on their faces. A younger Winry, her mother and grandmother as well as Trisha Elric were setting up the picnic table that stood beneath a big tree.

"I remember this tree. We used to climb it all the time back when we were kids."

"We do have some happy memories of that tree do we." Al said, still reading the papers and browsing through the contents of the folder.

At closer inspection, the young man with golden eyes could see the younger version of Al and himself together with their father. They were lying on the grass laughing, having the time of their lives.

"You were such a baby then, Al and dad well, he was still there. Mom looked so happy. Where did you get this?"

"Mr. Rockbell took that photo and Auntie Pinako was kind enough to give it to me. I hope you like it, brother."

"Thanks, Al." the older brother said sincerely and smiled at his gift. He then lay down on the bed and continued admiring the picture when Al gave an audible yelp of surprise.

Bolting up from the bed, Ed demanded "What's the matter, Al?"

"It's…it's. Mustang gave you a birthday gift after all." Al exclaimed merrily.

"What do you mean?"

Al pointed at the paper he was reading then handed it over to his older brother.

Ed read the document line by line. His eyes widened then he looked at Al.

"That's right, brother. We may have a concrete lead this time."

Apparently, the document Mustang gave Ed held significant information about an old researcher of the state who tried doing human transmutation without using a philosopher's stone. The research was about recreating a limb by combining raw materials and live human cells. A man named Sieg Boarque has been secretly researching such a method for the past 10 years in Drachma, a place in the north.

"It sounds promising, brother. It's like making a chimera but with the use of raw materials."

"Are you still with me on this, Al? There's always a chance for this to be just another dead end."

"Always." The younger brother replied.

"It's decided then. We leave for Drachma."

-to be continued-

**Note: **I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. LOL. That scene with Ed and Roy was well…there. Hehe. I'm in trouble lmao. I don't know much about the places in the north (only that there was a war there or something against the state) so if you guys could give me some info, that would help me a lot :D I'm waaaaay behind in my school work so I might not be able to update soon. Patience is the key '. Reviews, comments as well as plot ideas for the next chapter are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Locomotive**

**Disclaimer: **FMA characters are not mine but I do own this story nyahahaha!

"Darn it. What's taking that guy so long?" Ed grumbled as he ate his 5th burger.

It was almost noon and the Elric brothers had been standing at the entrance of the Central train station for almost half an hour now and Ed was getting more and more impatient as time went by.

"Tell me again why we are waiting here, brother?" the younger Elric, who was standing beside Ed, inquired.

Al's older brother sighed as he recalled what had happened earlier that morning in the General's office.

-Earlier-

"What do you mean you can't grant me a leave? Why the hell did you give me that file if I can't go to Drachma to look into it?"

Ed had been whining, shouting and pounding his fists on Mustang's desk since the General refused his request for leave that morning. On the other hand, Mustang was very amused by this.

"You know as well as I do that you are a dog of the military. Being a state alchemist gives you several benefits but in the end of the day you still take orders from your superiors." Roy Mustang was sitting comfortably at the other end of his desk, enjoying every bit of anger the Fullmetal Alchemist threw at him.

The General grinned as he added "This is what you get for disappearing the other day without telling me. I do have to show my unquestionable authority on everyone working under me you know. I won't tolerate disobedience especially from you, Fullmetal."

Riza Hawkeye raised a brow at this but decided not to interrupt the two alchemists' conversation as she went on doing her work.

"I became a dog of the military for one reason only and that is to bring Al's and my body back to the way it was. If the state won't allow me to take a leave then I'll go to Drachma as a civilian."

Roy sighed at the younger man's ignorance and impulsiveness.

"Although things up there have been quiet recently, the state still doesn't permit civilians from entering that area." The superior officer explained.

"We'll find a way." Ed replied as he surrendered his silver pocket watch and put it on the desk before him. He was about to leave the office when Mustang spoke again.

"Fine, if you really want to go to Drachma then I'll give you permission _IF_ you agree to take on an assignment."

"And what assignment would that be?" the annoyed blonde hissed, his back still facing the General.

"I want you to escort a high-ranking official. Central Headquarters is going to send someone to inspect the outpost in Drachma. It would be too suspicious if we send too many soldiers to serve as escort. There have been a lot of rumors that some of the soldiers assigned there plan to conduct a coup against the state with the help of the rebels in the north."

Lieutenant Hawkeye was very surprised at what Roy just told Ed. She gave the General a suspicious look but it seemed like Mustang knew what he was doing.

"That's it?" Ed asked as he faced his superior again. He wasn't really interested in matters concerning the state or the military.

Mustang smirked as he nodded. "He's going to take the train bound for Drachma at noon."

"It's a deal then." The younger man agreed then stormed out of the office.

-Present-

"'Coz we're going to escort an important official to Drachma." The older Elric sighed.

"Ahh, I see. Who exactly are we escorting?" Al asked.

Ed thought for a while and tried to recall if Mustang mentioned the name of the high-ranking official. He didn't. Ed scratched his head and started pulling some of his hair out from his scalp. The infuriated state alchemist burst into anger, screaming and swearing, putting all the blame on the General. Alphonse just stood there, trying in vain to calm his older brother.

"It's good to know you boys are punctual." A familiar and arrogant voice commented.

Ed finally calmed down enough to see where the voice was coming from.

"Mustang! What are you doing here? You forgot to mention who it was we were supposed to escort to Drachma" Ed exclaimed. "_You good for nothing General._" He muttered under his breath.

The General just stood there and smirked at them.

Al noticed that the Flame Alchemist was carrying a suitcase with him. The younger Elric put two and two together then concluded, "I think we're supposed to escort the General, brother."

"At least one of the Elric brothers has the ability to use his brain huh, Fullmetal?" Roy teased.

This automatically sent Ed on one of his fits of rage again. Al had to hold on to his older brother to keep him from acting inappropriately towards his superior officer.

The General went into the station ahead of the Elrics, gaining salutes from several officers present there that day. A couple of young women who were traveling together were waiting for their train and they did not fail to notice the striking young officer with dark black hair and eyes. Mustang had always been popular with the ladies; he himself knew that as a fact. The General walked up to them and greeted them with a charming smile.

"Ignore me to flirt with women huh?" Ed mumbled, still struggling in Al's firm grasp.

"Let go of me, Al. I won't do anything inappropriate, I promise." The young man with the golden eyes pleaded as he stopped struggling.

Al loosened his hold on his brother and said, "Ok, brother. Just calm-"

Before the younger Elric could finish, Ed dashed towards Mustang then wrapped his arms tightly around the General's body. With a mischievous plot in mind, the Fullmetal Alchemist spoke loud enough for the ladies to hear him.

"Dad, how could you? We haven't seen you in 10 years. Mom's sick and poor Al hasn't been able to talk since you left." Ed put on a show in front of the ladies Mustang was flirting with.

The General couldn't speak. He was having hard time breathing with Ed's auto mail arm wrapped tightly around his waist.

The two young women looked at Ed then at Al. Al overheard what his older brother just said and he became too dumbfounded to speak.

"Uhh, we don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything." The ladies tried to explain to the boys.

"Mr. Mustang, please take care of your family especially this little boy here. He seems to be very fond of you." One of the ladies added.

'LITTLE boy'

twitch

"Don't call me little!" Ed exclaimed as he released Mustang whose face was now blue.

After saying their farewell, the women quickly left.

"Brother, our train is leaving." Al called out.

The younger state alchemist looked at the big clock in the station. It was exactly 12 noon. The train bound for the north was leaving.

"Let's run for it, Al!"

Realizing that Mustang was barely conscious and was still trying to catch his breath, both Elrics grabbed one of his arms and dragged him on to the train. With great effort, they all made it on one of the rear cars of the train just in time.

"We made it." The Fullmetal alchemist sighed in relief as he tried to catch his breath from where he sat on the wooden floor.

"Uhh, brother…" Al said nervously as he pointed at the older man with them.

Mustang had regained consciousness. He got up from where he lay, towering over his subordinate as he looked him in the eye.

"What the hell was that about, shorty?" Roy's face turned red with anger.

"DON'T CALL ME SHORTY YOU BIG FLIRT!" Ed shouted in reply.

Al just stood there, watching as his older brother and the General threw insults at one another. It was a long and tiring journey. The three of them stayed in a special car reserved just for them and Al was glad the state issued such a request from the Central station. It would have been too embarrassing if other passengers were in the same car since Mustang and Ed argued nonstop. The General sat by the window across the Elric brothers and although Ed preferred sitting by the window too, he didn't want to see Mustang's face directly in front of him for the duration of the trip.

While the two men went on with their spat, Alphonse Elric sat beside his brother quietly, staring at the passing scenery.

"_I really don't understand why the General and brother don't get along It has always been like this. Maybe it's because they're too much alike. They're both very talented state alchemists. Brother is just as immature and impulsive as the General. Riza would definitely agree with me on this. In any case, what is the research in Drachma about? Unlike human transmutation where a human life is needed in exchange, Mr. Boarque's method of combining instead of creating human limbs seems sound. _"

"Al, is everything alright?" The older brother asked.

The younger Elric snapped out of it. He has just realized that Roy and his brother had been quiet for some time now. A small white falling object from outside the window caught Al's attention.

"Brother, it's snowing."

"We're almost there." Ed replied.

"We're here." The General contested.

When they got off the train, they found themselves in a small station. The station only served the purposes of the military therefore it wasn't maintained at all. The floors were old and dusty. Most of the windows were boarded shut while others were left open, allowing the cold to enter the small building. From what they could see outside, the place was covered in snow. As the three walked towards the exit, the younger brother stopped.

"General, if you don't mind me asking why did you agree to do the inspection here in Drachma? Surely, sending a state alchemist like brother would've been enough." Al inquired.

Before Mustang could answer, Ed intervened.

"Tch. You don't need to ask such things from him, Al. He's obviously doing this for a promotion. The current Fuhrer who replaced that homunculus, King Bradley is a temporary one. They call him a transient head of some sort until a new Fuhrer is selected by the higher ups."

"You seem to know me so well, Fullmetal." Roy said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"It's obvious, Mustang. I heard you're one of the possible candidates for Fuhrer but the committee isn't certain if they could trust you since you did kill Bradley regardless of his real identity and acted against the state by creating a mock coup back then."

Neither of the brothers could explain it but for the first time ever, the General didn't argue with what Ed said. Their attention then shifted to a man standing by the exit waiting for them. Unlike the blue informs soldiers wore in Central, this soldier was clad in a thick dark brown coat with fur linings on the fabric and he wore a matching cap on his head.

"Lieutenant Isaac reporting for duty, General Mustang. I shall be escorting you to the Drachma outpost, sir." The soldier saluted.

Lieutenant Isaac drove them all the way to the outpost. The Elric brothers didn't expect theweather to be this cold in the north. On the way, all they could see were remnants of houses where the populous used to inhabit. Old broken structures were all covered with snow. It was obvious from their surroundings that the people were not able to return and rebuild their homes due to the ongoing feud against the rebels of the north. It wasn't long when they reached their destination. It was a small military base in the town of Drachma. Buildings that remained intact were being used as offices and quarters. They passed by an old church in the town and based from what their escort told them, it served as a make-shift infirmary for the injured and the ill.

When the car finally stopped in front of the building that served as the HQ, Ed and Al got off almost immediately. Ed looked around a bit then looked at Mustang who just got out of the vehicle.

"We kept our end of the deal. We're going to find that guy named Sieg."

Before Mustang could reply, the Elric brothers were off, talking to refugees and soldiers, trying to get as much information as they could.

In the midst of their inquiries with the public, Al couldn't help but ask his brother "Do you think General Mustang needed escorts because of the damp atmosphere? He can't use his flames here."

"If that arrogant bastard intends to start trouble then I guess he does. He's just supposed to inspect the place but who knows, killing a rebel or two could add some extra points to his reputation." The older brother hissed in disgust.

Almost an hour had gone by and the brothers still had no luck. Nobody knew Sieg Boarque but in any case Al was still on the go. The young man with the golden eyes suddenly found it difficult to keep up with his younger brother.

"_My metal limbs feel stiff._" Ed thought to himself.

Not a moment later, Ed cried out in pain, collapsing on the snow and curling up into a ball desperately trying to soothe the excruciating pain he felt on his left thigh and right chest area.

"Brother! Brother!" The younger Elric cried as he ran back to his brother's side.

Alphonse running towards him was the last thing the Fullmetal Alchemist saw before he blacked out from the pain and the cold.

"Brother?"

Eyes still hazy, the young state alchemist could feel warmth that brought him much comfort. To his surprise, he found his auto mail limbs wrapped with several layers of cloth that had a curious print that resembled a transmutation circle.

"He's awake." An unfamiliar voice said in the background.

Sitting up from what seemed to be a very old bed, Ed tried to move his auto mail but his artificial limbs just won't respond. Alphonse sat beside the bed where his brother was and he could see the worried look on Ed's face.

"It seems that we've forgotten one important thing about your metal limbs." Al said as he scratched his head.

An older man about his forties stood behind the younger Elric, his back facing the bed. He was wearing a white coat and was mixing something in a cup that smelled a lot like medicine. After a while, the stranger turned to face the Elric brothers. From where he lay, Ed could clearly see that the man had long ebony hair that reached his shoulders and he looked like he hadn't shaved for days.

"A metal arm loses heat faster than a normal human one. You just had a minor case of frostbite around the area where flesh meets steel. It's good thing that you had your brother with you and brought you here right away. A few more minutes out in the cold then the nerves connected to your auto mail would've literally frozen over. That was the pain you were feeling not so long ago."

"I'm so glad you're ok, brother." The younger brother embraced Ed.

"How come I can't move my limbs now Mr. uhh…"

"The people here call me Doctor Von. I'm responsible for the well-being of the people in Drachma regardless if they are from the military or just civilians. You should be able to regain control over you metal limbs in a bit. Your nerves took quite a beating in the cold today."

"This is a transmutation circle correct? You're using alchemy to insulate the heat generated by my body." Ed deducted as he pointed at the print on the towels.

"You certainly are a smart lad." The doctor praised.

"Tell me, do you anyone who goes by the name Sieg Boarque?" Ed asked.

"Why are you children looking for such a person here?"

"We need to know how he was able to do human transmutation without using the philosopher's stone." Al replied.

The doctor paused for a moment.

"So you do know him. Tell us what you know about him and his work, doctor." Ed pleaded.

"Sieg and I used to work together as traveling physicians but he disappeared several years ago." The older man replied.

"Do you know where he went? Please tell us anything about his method of combining human flesh and raw materials." The younger Elric asked in a polite manner.

"We were treating people in a small village near Drachma. Due to the ongoing war that time, there was a lack of food and medical supplies. People had to work in the worst possible conditions just to get food on the table and to make matters worse the military planted mines near the village since the village was located near the main road. A lot of people got hurt and lost their limbs because of that."

"Is that when Sieg decided to study human transmutation?" Ed inquired as he sat up on the bed.

"No. He knew that kind of alchemy was forbidden but one of his patients made him change his principles. Sieg used to treat a young sickly girl named Greta. They became pretty close friends since Greta was in the hospital often because of her poor defenses against any form of illness. One day, when the little girl and her parents came home from the hospital, Greta accidentally stepped on one of the mines. The child lost her right leg and Sieg couldn't accept the fact that his young friend won't be able to live a normal life. The village had no auto mail mechanics back then and it was very difficult to get materials to be used to make an artificial limb."

"So Sieg just wanted to help Greta." Al sighed.

Ed suddenly stood up and exclaimed. "How far did he go? Was he able to test his theories? Can you tell us anything about his research?"

The doctor then avoided the young man's stare as he replied. "Unfortunately, I can't help you with that. Sieg researched alone I'm afraid. He occasionally asked me to do errands for him but he never told me what he was doing."

The room was silent for a few minutes until Ed spoke.

"Thanks for the help, Doc. It's time for us to leave, Al."

"But bro-"

"See you around." Ed put on his red coat and left the room.

The younger Elric bid the doctor goodbye and was about to leave the room when the older man asked.

"Can you tell me who you children are? You're brother _is_ one of my patients now." The doctor smiled kindly.

"Oh my. I apologize for being so rude, doctor Von. My name is Alphonse Elric. My older brother is Edward Elric. My brother is also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"You mean the youngest state alchemist in the military, Edward Elric?"

"Yes, sir. Excuse me, I must go to my brother now. Thanks again for all your help." With that, Al left the room and went after his older sibling. The doctor was left by himself in the room.

_The Fullmetal Alchemist huh? What's the military up to?_ Doctor Von thought to himself.

Once the two brothers left the small building near the church, Al ran up to his older brother's side. He was curious why his brother didn't pursue the topic they had with the doctor earlier. It wasn't like Ed to give up that easily.

Sensing Al's curiosity, Ed suddenly stopped walking and faced his younger brother.

"That Von guy knows something, Al. He just won't tell us."

"Do you think it has something to do with the military, brother?" Al replied.

"I don't know. But we are going to find out."

It was getting dark. Both brothers agreed to call it a day since the air was getting colder by the second and Ed's metal limbs were bothering him again. What secrets await the Elric brothers here in Drachma? And what purpose does the General have in this cold and war-torn place?

-to be continued-

**Author's Notes: **OMG. I apologize for the long wait, people. It took me a little over 3 weeks to update. T.T Actually, I've finished writing around ¾ of this chapter 2 weeks ago but I wasn't able to revise and finish the entire thing coz of school. Thanks for reading. I hope I can update again soon. Huhu. Comments and reviews are love :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Reckoning**

**Disclaimer: **FMA characters are not mine. Duh? This is Wah!

**Note: **Ok, so this is one of the more difficult chapters I've written so far. As usual, the story generally follows Ed's POV. I've been trying to keep their character as accurate as possible but I kinda had to exaggerate some points in their personalities (esp. Mustang's). Just in case you get lost in this chapter, I based Mustang's _lighter side_ from the episode, "The Flame Alchemist" (I think :D). Enjoy :P

"What do you mean you had to go to a doctor for treatment, shrimp?"

General Mustang has been having a bad another day in Drachma. The moment he arrived in the small military outpost, soldiers have been kissing up to him, hoping he would authorize their transfer to a different post preferably, to Central. The General was able to do some preliminary inspection of the outpost and concluded that the state had completely forsaken the Drachma outpost. The facilities were in bad shape and the officials were corrupt and generally did as they pleased. The area has been left unchecked since the last Fuhrer ordered men to stay put and make sure to keep the northern rebels at bay.

The cold weather has been getting to the General. He longed for a warm drink and the annoying yet reassuring company of his subordinates back in Central. Mustang was really getting annoyed and to top it all off, his young subordinate, Ed came back report to him in his small office in Drachma HQ with some "minor" injuries.

"Stop calling me shrimp! It was just a minor case of frostbite. Geeez." The Fullmetal alchemist hissed, annoyed at Mustang for treating him like a kid.

"As your commanding officer, I order you to assist me in the inspection from now on so I can keep an eye on you." The older man flamed.

"What! That's crazy. I didn't come all the way here to be your slave, Mustang. Besides, we may have a lead on that Sieg guy." Ed argued.

"Alphonse can do the field work. If you behave well enough, I can pull a few strings to gain access to the military's archives here. I'm sure they have information about the people living in the area and being the person with the highest rank around here, it won't be a problem for me."

"Damn yo-"

"I think the General has a point, brother." Al interrupted.

The younger Elric continued. "You can't stay outside for too long and based on what we know, the people here are not familiar with the person called Sieg. You'll have access to military records since you're a state alchemist and the General is backing you up as well. We'll probably save more time this way."

"But Al, we promised we'd do this together." Ed contested. He was quite disappointed that his younger brother took Mustang's side in this argument.

"Don't worry about me, brother. Although my human body is fragile now unlike the body I had before, I'm fully capable of taking care of myself."

"Al." The older brother finally accepted his defeat in the argument.

The next day, Al left early to find out more about the person they were looking for as well the special research that he had done. Meanwhile, Ed was left in the mercy of his superior officer. Both state alchemists made a deal that if Ed would help in the inspection and other tasks during the day, the General would make the necessary means to get hold of classified records from the military archivist.

Surprisingly, the work that came with the inspection was a piece of cake for Ed. It bored him to death, actually. They did a lot of interviews from the officers working in the small building but the General did most of the talking. Later that day, Roy gave him paper work to do for him. Ed agreed to do the work only because the General said that he had more urgent documents to accomplish. Having all the necessary materials at hand, the two men went back to the General's office.

The state alchemists were in Mustang's small office in the building that served as Drachma's headquarters. The room only had one window and floor space of the office barely had enough room for two desks to fit. A door leading to the hallway stood opposite the window. The walls had traces of beige paint on it but for the most part, it was plain. The entire room was cold since the heater was faulty. A damp smell filled every corner of that particularly small, dark office.

Although the window was partially covered with snow, the afternoon sun was still able to shine through the translucent glass, illuminating a bit of the dark room. The two desks were in an L-shape position to maximize the available space, which gave the room a rather cramped and suffocating feel to it. The General was working on the desk facing the window while Ed was trying doing paperwork on the adjacent desk. The office has been uncomfortably silent for the past hour and the blonde couldn't take it anymore.

Ed suddenly had this familiar uneasy feeling he had back in Central. He was in the same room with the man he despised but for some strange reason, they weren't in their usual state of arguing or throwing insults at each other.

From where he sat, the young blonde could see the older man writing something on a piece of paper without complaint. Ed heard from Riza that Mustang wasn't a diligent worker.

"Tch. I never thought you had it in you to actually do work, Mustang." Ed commented with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Who said anything about doing work?" Mustang laughed.

Ed stood up and walked up behind the General to see what he has been up to during the past hour. Roy seemed to have been replying to a document delivered to him this morning. By closer inspection, Ed could see that the letter Roy was replying to was written in a woman's handwriting.

"To my beloved Roy..." Ed read out loud.

"WTF!" Ed cringed. The younger man went on with his usual barrage of swearing and complaints about how he did his work and how the older man, as usual, just slacked off.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye should've come with us-"

"Let's go have lunch, Fullmetal." Mustang said out of the blue as he stood up from his desk.

This immediately silenced the ranting Ed. Uncertain if he heard the General correctly, he asked. "What did you say?"

"L-U-N-C-H. You and me. It's almost 3 O'clock. Or would you rather starve in this coffin-like office?"

Too dumbfounded to speak, not to mention the audible complaints of his stomach, Ed just nodded.

The cafeteria was located a few blocks away and it was just a short walk from where Ed and the General worked. It used to be large old warehouse but it was now used as a cafeteria. Having arrived there, both men could see several rows of long wooden tables and chairs neatly arranged in the large space. At one end of the warehouse, a makeshift fireplace was built to keep the place warm.

This was the only place where the military personnel gave out rations of food and clean water to both civilians and commissioned officers. The quantity of the food provided was only enough to satisfy an average person's appetite. Under normal circumstances, Ed having the appetite of a large bear would've complained but knowing the situation of the area, he decided to keep his mouth shut. There weren't that many people there around that time since it was pretty late to have lunch and it was too early for dinner time and for this, Mustang was glad.

"_I can eat in peace here without all the ass-kissers bothering me."_ The General thought.

After receiving their not so scrumptious-looking meals, the two state alchemists headed towards an empty table across the room, passing by a group of officers who were sitting idly, chatting amongst each other loudly. This particular group seemed to have just finished their work for the day and have decided to take a break there. They stared as the two officers from Central walked pass them.

"Hey, isn't he that big shot, General Roy Mustang?" a soldier said loud enough for Ed and Mustang to hear.

"Yeah, I heard he's here for another promotion. Geez, a dog can certainly go far if he wagged his tail right." Another soldier commented.

Ed halted, giving the men a scary glare. Normally he could care less about how they talked about his superior but for the officers to pretend that the person they were talking about wasn't there made him very angry.

"What are you looking at, shorty?" one of the men, who seemed to be the ring leader, hissed at Ed.

That did it. Ed put down the tray he carried on a nearby table and walked towards the man who insulted him, wearing a demented smile as he went.

"Sorry, kid. I don't pick on small fry. It ruins my image." The soldier said, waving a hand between him and Ed.

The blonde put his hands together, forming a circle, and transmuted the chair the rude man was sitting on. The wooden chair stretched to an abnormal shape and became a rope-like material that wrapped around the man's body, making him scream in horror. The only thing the other soldiers could do was to watch in amazement and fear. After the transmutation was completed, one of the men whimpered that their gang should leave for now. The group of soldiers carried their leader who was still stuck on the chair and went out the door into the freezing snow.

"That should shut them up." The victorious Elric mused as he took his tray and sat across the table where Roy was.

"Showing off your skills in alchemy won't do you any good." Mustang reprimanded as he took a sip at his warm cup of coffee.

"Why not? Those guys deserved it for calling me a spec of dust that nobody could see." the younger man flamed.

"Alchemy is a form of art. It is through this science that we obtain the truth." Roy said in a matter-of-fact manner.

This was the first time Ed heard the General talked about something with a hint of emotion in his eyes that the older man obviously, tried to hide. Was this emotion a passion for something? This made the young state alchemist think that he may have been wrong about Roy Mustang…to a certain degree at the very least.

"_Maybe this guy **does** care for something other than himself and his rank."_ Ed thought. Out of the blue, the older Elric could remember Winry say, _"Maybe he just wants to get to know you, Ed."_ Ed sighed then decided to give it a shot.

"How did you get into it? I mean, what got you interested in alchemy?" the curious young subordinate asked.

"That's an odd question coming from you, Fullmetal. Well, you could say I used to be your typical pyromaniac as a child. I just love setting things ablaze." Roy laughed out loud.

"Idiot. Forget I asked." Ed turned his head away from his superior in disgust.

Sensing the annoyance in Ed's voice, the older man's mood shifted to a more serious one.

He took another sip of his coffee and said "The truth."

Ed tilted his head to the direction of Mustang's voice as he asked "Huh? What did you say?"

"I thought alchemy could answer all my questions. I wanted to know the truth." Roy replied as he stared into the dark brown liquid in his mug.

Ed could tell that the General was being honest and for once, he was being serious under this kind of circumstance.

"But the truth that alchemy holds isn't the kind of truth we expect…no, what we hoped it would be." The blonde added.

The General nodded silently knowing very well what Ed meant.

Fullmetal thought about what he had just said and suddenly remembered a certain experience with Al in the past that made him laugh out like an insane person.

"I just remembered something. Even though Al is also an alchemist, he's still scared of ghosts."

Mustang let out a chuckle. The General recalled an experience he had with his other subordinates and the mysterious warehouse number 13 back in Central. He didn't hesitate to tell Ed about how silly it was for his other subordinates, particularly Fuery, to believe in things that science can't prove exist.

Surprisingly, the conversation between the two state alchemists just hit off after that. They both shared this deep passion for alchemy and scientific truths. Of course, being the sarcastic individuals that they were, they occasionally disagreed on certain points and lashed out with some sarcastic remarks but in the end, they were able to keep a tolerable "friendly" conversation despite their differences. Both men knew that as long as neither of them brought up the topic pertaining to their past, all would be well.

The younger alchemist never would've imagined Mustang to be this talkative, down-to-earth person who shared the same interests in alchemy as he did.

Mustang never thought that Ed can be so mature…sometimes. Yes, indeed it was hard for him to admit it but his young blonde subordinate could be quite the conversationalist when it came to alchemy, scientific truths as well as the cracks that accompanied those so called truths. The last time Roy enjoyed talking with another man was when Hughes was still alive. They used to drink and talk a lot back then but even though he was sober now and his old friend was no longer there to keep him company, he felt at ease telling his subordinate about his absurd ideas and passions.

It took them some time to realize that they had been conversing for the entire afternoon. From what they could see outside the fogged-up window on one side of the establishment, it had been quite a while since the sun had set.

Ed didn't notice then but there were more people in the cafeteria now than when they first arrived a few hours ago. It was dinner time and Ed just realized that he hadn't heard from Alphonse the whole day. Ed gestured that it was time for him to leave. The General understood the gesture and stood up from his chair. The Flame and Fullmetal alchemist left the makeshift cafeteria together.

"_Winry was right. Mustang isn't that bad. I'll be working under him until I get my real limbs back so I guess it won't hurt to get to know the guy."_ Ed half sighed.

When the men got out, Ed noticed that the heavy snowfall had ceased for the first time that day. From where he stood, he could see the clear night sky and the streets covered with thick snow.

"It's so ironic to find beauty in such a devastated place." The younger man said softly to himself.

The General, who was standing right beside him, heard every word and said. "What is beauty, really?"

The younger state alchemist didn't reply and just stood there in front of the entrance of the cafeteria.

Mustang started walking towards the HQ when he realized his companion wasn't moving from where he stood.

"Is the cold bothering your auto mail limbs again, Fullmetal?" the older man asked with a hint of concern on his face.

Ed smirked at this and said in reply "Com'on Mustang, don't get all mushy on me now. Caring for a subordinate just ain't you. Anyway, you won't get promoted for being nice." Ed teased.

The General exhaled with great effort, trying not to release his annoyance at Ed all at once. One of his brows was twitching as he 'calmly' replied "Maybe if a little bean like you were smart enough to keep his metal limbs warmed up then we wouldn't be in this predicament would we?"

That officially ended all the pleasantries that day for both Ed and Roy. They argued all the way back to the HQ where their quarters were.

Ed was exhausted from all the shouting he did. It was the only thing he could do considering he couldn't contest Mustang's height when they argued. As the young blonde made his way to his and Al's shared sleeping quarters, he couldn't help but rub the skin connected to his metal limbs. The short exposure to the cold weather immediately showed its bad effects on Ed's body.

"Like pins and needles on my skin." Ed complained as he climbed the stairs leading to the second floor. Officers' quarters were located in the building beside HQ but since the General and his escorts were 'special' guests, the best accommodations the higher-ups in Drachma could come up with were the two bedrooms that were normally occupied by the first lieutenant and the colonel there.

The Elric's room was the first room to the right of the hall on the second floor. Ed was glad to see light coming from within the cracks on the door of his and his brother's room.

"_Al's back."_ He thought, quite relieved.

When the older Elric entered the room, he could see his younger brother lying exhausted on the bed, staring at the plain old ceiling.

Hearing his older brother enter the room, Al bolted from the bed and exclaimed excitedly, "Brother! I'm glad you're back. I have so much to tell you. The information I got from the people around town lead me to a small village west of here. They say that a person who they call 'Doc' lives there. They say he can cure people through alchemy." The younger Elric inhaled deeply after the last sentence.

Ed blinked, not quite understanding the reason for Al's excitement.

"Is he the person we're looking for? I guess alchemy can also be used in the field of medicine." The older brother asked.

"That's not the point, brother. Aside from Doctor Von, nobody else uses alchemy here. The only resource the people had about alchemy was through books from the old town library but it was burned to the ground several years ago."

"So that Sieg fellow has been hiding out in a nearby village all this time? What about the doctor from town? Did you find out anything about the guy?" Ed asked as he sat down on a wooden chair across the bed where Al was.

"All I know is that Dr. Von has been treating patients and soldiers since the war broke out long ago. Nobody knows how or where he learned to use alchemy but I heard a rumor that he originally came from Central."

Ed was deep in thought after hearing what Al had to say. He couldn't comprehend why a doctor from Central would opt to become a wandering physician and finally, become a doctor in a devastated place like Drachma.

Feeling exhaustion overcoming him, Al asked sleepily "What about you, brother? Were you able to find something useful in the military archives?"

Ed suddenly remembered the unproductive day he spent with his arrogant and lazy superior. He sighed as he replied "Mustang 'requested' for the documents this morning but the process around here isn't like the one we're used to back in Central. It'll probably take around three days for the archivist to deliver the documents here but since we have a lead…" The older brother had a mischievous look in his face.

His sleepy state suddenly left him as Al looked at sternly at his brother.

"Brother, you're not thinking about-"

"Come on, Al. Mustang's inspection ends in barely two weeks. We can't just sit around here and do nothing. Anyway, Mustang won't know if we don't tell him." Ed laughed.

It was late and Al was too tired to argue with his hard-headed older brother. He lay back down on the bed and said "Don't say that I didn't warn you, brother."

Early the next day, the young General lazily walked along the hall leading to his small rundown office. He wasn't really looking forward to yet, another day writing and signing reports that he needed to submit to Central HQ. No one in Drachma really knew why Central would send a high-ranking officer to inspect the outpost. Several rumors were going around Drachma and behind the General's back, there was unrest among the soldiers.

"I think Central is planning to end the fight against the rebels in the north. That's why they sent a General here to lead us all to battle."

"No, I think he's here to point out all the corrupt officers who are abusing their power."

"You're wrong! Central wants to deny that we had anything to do with the war in the north. The General has come to silence all of us. We're all going to die."

Mustang overheard some of the soldiers in the cafeteria talk about him earlier that morning as he drank his coffee. As usual, the Flame Alchemist acted normally and pretended not to hear anything.

When the General entered his office, he saw a white piece of paper on his table. Ed wasn't in yet and at first glance at the paper, he knew that this wasn't going to be a pleasant morning.

_Gone out with Al. Will be back soon._

_- Ed_

At the bottom of the letter, Mustang saw another poorly drawn picture of Ed with a victorious pose.

"Don't think you've outsmarted me, shrimp." Roy said angrily as he crumpled the piece of paper.

Meanwhile, at a snow-covered road leading out of town, the Elrics went on with their journey to bring back what they have lost.

"Are you sure you're limbs are alright, brother?" Al asked, concerned about his brother's metal limbs being exposed to the cold.

"Yep. I did learn a thing or two from that mysterious doctor in town." Ed had a big smile on his face as he showed Al the part where his metal arm met his shoulder.

"Whoa!" Al exclaimed in amazement.

Ed wrapped his shoulder with a normal towel that had a transmutation circle drawn on it.

"With alchemy I can manipulate the molecules of this plain towel. If I set the molecules in constant motion, it will produce heat, keeping this part of my arm and leg warm. Goodbye frostbite." Ed triumphantly explained.

"You're a genius, brother."

The brother laughed at this and continued heading west. They're efforts had brought them this far. Would they find what they were looking for?

What's Mustang up to? What brought him in Drachma, a rigid place where his alchemy was deemed useless by his subordinate? He had come all this way without his usual band of loyal subordinates. What lies ahead for the flame alchemist?

-to be continued

**Author's Note: **School work has been choking the life out of me these last few weeks. I've been thinking about making a doujinshi (fan comic) out of this fic but of course, I'd have to finish writing this first ' In any case, tell me what you guys think. I'll be happy to hear some suggestions and comments (for this story and the doujinshi idea). If you want to know how I draw anime(though I'm telling you all now that I'm not that good), just visit my art gallery here http/sajem99. . Thanks for reading :D


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